Words & Photos: Jacques Marais
World-class … that’s all I need to say about Karkloof. As an Average Joe who’s been fortunate enough to ride trails all around the world, I can safely say that few rides can compare whoop-for-whoop with this magical little piece of the Midlands Meander. But there’s no need to take my word for it, so saddle up and plug into pure MTB mojo.
Photo credit: Jacques Marais
World-class … that’s all I need to say about Karkloof. As an Average Joe who’s been fortunate enough to ride trails all around the world, I can safely say that few rides can compare whoop-for-whoop with this magical little piece of the Midlands Meander. But there’s no need to take my word for it, so saddle up and plug into pure MTB mojo.
This fabulous and forested region should not be called Karkloof. Trailkloof maybe, or MTBkloof, or something similarly velocipedey, if I had my way ...
I mean, why would you want a car here? Instead, you should be astride a bike, and maybe even have one in reserve. Just think, one mean All-Mountain machine with which to shred what must surely rate as one of South Africa's top single-track networks.
And then, if you had the kahunas to match, a gritty DH beauty with which to air those jumps. We can but dream, can’t we?
My 48 hours in Karkloof proved exactly long enough to make me just a wee bit jealous of the folk who live here. With - I promise you, its true - more than a hundred kilometres of manicured and outback single-track slip-sliding through the Sappi forests in the immediate vicinity of the Karkloof Conservancy and Howick, you will need way more than two days to even begin to scratch the surface.
The problem is, once you do, you uncover an itch that will never remain scratched. Shooting the Sappi Trail Blazer event gave me a great overview of the trails, but what truly got me drooling was a tantalisingly short blast along the network of routes while a rambunctious KZN thunderstorm rolled in.
The SCOTT Spark dual suspension (courtesy of Joggie Prinsloo and the crew at SCOTT Sports SA) made me feel like a pro (well, not quite) and meant I could appreciate the oh-so-flow single-track at speed. Only problem is, how the hell do I now get used to NOT having variable lock-out on demand, and a bike that climbs as if I'm riding it with some hard-core kid's legs?
More info, I hear you say? Easy enough, go check out www.karkloofmtb.co.za and follow the flow on @karkloofmtb!
Photo credit: Jacques Marais
Image 1: Oh So Flow
The Shot: A lone rider bombs the perfect berms of Karkloof’s Blue Route. The low light forced me to shoot on 6,400 ISO, with the Exmor Sensor rendering forested background and patterning in a gorgeous, creamy monochrome.
The Specifications: 1/1,200 th sec @ f5.6; SONY A99-SLT + 70-400 mm lens; ISO 6400; WB Setting (Overcast); AE Setting (0 EV).
More Information: www.sappi.co.za
Image 2: Going Green
The Shot: Fun times and sunshine envelops you as soon as you leave the Sappi plantations, allowing you to dial the ISO right back down. This shot was at the full extension of my super zoom, with tracking focus to ensure the riders stayed sharp throughout the sequence.
The Specifications: 1/800 th sec @ f5.6; SONY A99-SLT + 70-400 mm lens; ISO 250; WB Setting (Sunny); AE Setting (0 EV).
More Information: www.karkloofmtb.co.za
Image 3: Pyga on Fire
The Shot: I found a spot at the bottom of one of the wooden ramps and set up a sequence of shots with some of the Karkloof heavies. This shot of legend Patrick Morewood on his PYGA was side lit by two flashes on wireless units; I metered on the sky and stopped down 1EV.
The Specifications: 1/250 th sec @ f9; SONY A99-SLT + 16 mm fisheye; ISO 50; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (-1 EV); Remote flash on Phottix Transceivers.
More Information: www.pyga.co.za
Image 4: I want to Ride my Bicycle
The Shot: This section of trail, with its sweetly shaped berms and languid curves, was my final shot of the day. By now I was chomping at the bit to get onto the SCOTT Spark and get a feel for the trails myself; I set-up remote flash in two spots to highlight the trail, and that was a wrap.
The Specifications: 1/400 th sec @ f8; SONY A99-SLT + 16 mm fisheye; ISO 50; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (-1 EV); Remote flash on Phottix Transceivers.
More Information: www.scottsports.co.za
Image 5: Synchronicity
The Shot: Two kickers along a section of trail got us thinking along the lines of a synchronised jump shot, and we were lucky to have the right guys on hand, including local trail-scaping maestro Hylton Turvey and his mate Mark Millar. The only way to get this was to prefocus in the right place and then rattle off at 10 x frames per second.
The Specifications: 1/1,500 th sec @ f5.6; SONY A99-SLT + 80-400 mm lens; ISO 6400; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (0 EV); No flash.
More Information: www.sony.co.za
